The lady is on the backstep of the grapevine and the leader's left is coming around like the hand of a clock until...

...contact is made as she is about to step side. The illusion is created that the leader is dragging the lady's foot, but actually she is stepping that way anyway and is supplying some momentum, though she still is following his lead

DT: On the previous page, we have a drag from the parada or stop, and here we have a drag from the grapevine or molinete. Andrew, the contact with her foot appears to happen on the back step of her front-side-back-side sequence? Is that always the case?

Andrew: Most of the time, yes.

DT: Kana, after you take your back step and before Andrew's foot catches up with yours, you seem to wait there. Are you being led to do that?

Kana: Yes. Andrew stops his body rotation

DT: When Andrew makes contact with your left foot, the foot that is to be dragged, your next step would be in the direction of the drag anyway, that is, to the side?

Kana: Yes, my next step is side step.

DT: So is it an illusion that your foot is being dragged?

Kana: It is a good question but I am still moving because he is dragging my foot. I am not moving with inertia or because my partner will be to the side next. I am still following his drag.

DT: Andrew, from the cross, it looks like the leader's part is left, right, left swing, and your swinging left foot catches up to her on her back step. In this sequence at least, it looks like the leader has the more athletic part. Do you do any exercises to sharpen your movements?

Andrew: I practice pivots on my own from a standstill position going in both directions right and left

The Keys:

This figure demonstrates the importance of the lead in the molinete. On the back step where the leader and follower's feet meet, the follower is paused until the foot contact is made. If the follower is simply stepping front-side-back-side without regard to the lead, she will not pause. Similarly, if the leader is not evenly leading the molinete, the follower will not know to pause.